MANUFACTURED CANNABIS SAFETY BRANCH

​

Regulations

Emergency Regulations for Cannabis Manufacturing

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) developed emergency regulations to implement the mandates of the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA). These regulations outline the statewide standards and licensing requirements for commercial cannabis manufacturers, became effective on December 7, 2017 and were re-adopted with some changes on June 6, 2018. These emergency regulations are effective for 180 days from the date of re-adoption.

MCSB published proposed regulations on July 13, 2018. The proposed regulations are undergoing a formal rulemaking process and are not yet in effect. View the proposed regulations.

For more information on the current regulatory requirements for cannabis manufacturers or to download the Universal Symbol, visit the Licensee Resources page.

Emergency Regulations for Shared-Use Manufacturing Facilities

On March 23, 2018, MCSB released proposed emergency regulations that would allow cannabis manufacturers to utilize shared-use facilities. These regulations were developed to provide opportunities for small manufacturing businesses and in response to demand from cities and counties wishing to implement equity programs. The facilities must be cannabis specific and are expected to resemble community kitchens or locations in which a larger manufacturer offers use of space and equipment to a smaller manufacturer. The emergency regulations for shared-use facilities were approved and went into effect on April 13, 2018.

Emergency regulations are effective for 180 days and must be re-adopted to stay in effect. MCSB will file the re-adoption on October 1, 2018, with no proposed changes. This re-adoption would keep these emergency regulations in effect until the proposed regultions are adopted. For more information or to view the rulemaking documentation, visit the CDPH Office of Regulations website.

Other Cannabis Regulations

The Bureau of Cannabis Control has issued emergency regulations for retailers, distributors, testing laboratories, and microbusinesses. CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing, a division of the California Department of Food & Agriculture, has issued emergency regulations for cultivators. Both of these emergency regulations can be viewed on the Cannabis Portal.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Emergency Regulations?

Emergency regulations are regulations developed during a special rulemaking process in response to a situation that requires immediate action to avoid serious harm to the public peace, health, safety or general welfare (Government Code, Section 11342.545). MCSB submitted a Finding of Emergency with the emergency regulations package.

When are public comment periods held?

Emergency regulations have a five-day public comment period on the finding of emergency that begins when the California Office of Administrative Law (OAL) posts the proposed emergency regulations on their website. The comment period for the MCSB emergency regulations for cannabis manufacturing was originally held November 27 - December 4, 2017, the comment period for the emergency regulations for shared-use facilities was held April 3 - April 8, 2018, and the comment period for the re-adoption of the emergency regulations was held from May 25-30, 2018.

Public comments are currently being accepted on the proposed permanent regulaitons. For the text of the proposed regulations and information about how to comment, visit our Proposed Regulations page. More information on the regulatory rulemaking process is available on the OAL website.